


and you think to love is to pray (but i don't pray that way)

by diamantrouge



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal
Genre: Canon Compliant, Edging, F/M, Gem Kink, Masturbation, Overstimulation, Referenced group sex, Species Dysphoria, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, dirty talking, mild exhibitionism, read the notes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-13 12:40:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29278584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/diamantrouge/pseuds/diamantrouge
Summary: Adjusting to her freshly awakened body is proving quite difficult for Rio - who isn't even Rio anymore. Vector, for his part, seems to like to test her limits a little too much.
Relationships: Kamishiro Rio/Vector
Comments: 10
Kudos: 12





	and you think to love is to pray (but i don't pray that way)

**Author's Note:**

> Quick note about their ages: I'm writing them as ageless/pluricentenary/humanoid aliens. Yes, this takes place during canon, but my reading is that their "awakened" bodies as Barian Emperors aren't the same ages as the rest of the main cast, including the Kamishiro twins who stop being that age when they choose to join the other Emperors. I think they're all reborn as teens at the end of Zexal, but during the Onslaught I see and write them as ageless.  
> This is the reason why I haven't used "underage" as an archive warning.

Shifting between two bodies has been hard on her human bones and her very human mind. Rio loathes her knees giving way and her head spinning as if the ground has been swept from underneath her feet; she stays still in her new form more than she needs to, afraid she’ll lose balance.

But what makes her gasp for air above all else each time is the sensation of being naked. Exposed. The cool air brushing against the gem feels like walking out of the shower into an ice-cold room.

The link between these two forms is stronger than she had thought – the feeling of being exposed stays, sometimes, even when she’s wrapped in blankets or in her coat; she’s more aware of her skin than ever, and how different kinds of cloth brush against her. It would be wise, she had thought, to shy away from touch until she reaches a balance she’s sure the other Barians have reached already.

And yet, when Vector takes her wrist and brings it to his mouth to kiss the blood-coloured gem mounted on the underside of the golden bangle she wears, she feels fire coiling her insides.

He never breaks eye contact. It can’t be more than a few seconds – a time she spends engraving the image of his lips brushing against the gem and the dark twinkle in his eyes under her eyelids.

Rio feels a sigh rising at the back of her throat and when Durbe yanks Vector away from her, livid and wide-eyed but still refusing to explain why, it clicks.

He wants her to  _ feel _ something. She can very easily imagine what he wants her to feel: a shiver runs down her spine.

It’s not a vivid image, and yet it is enough for a blush to creep up her cheeks. Durbe half-mouths his complaints as if to spare Rio from hearing them, equally red, his pointer finger inches away from Vector’s face; he cocks his head to the side and shoots a smirk at Durbe.

«I was just trying to be gallant», he offers, the aftertaste of a taunt in his tone; he slides his hands in his pockets, casually. «You got a problem with that? », he adds.

Durbe breathes through his nose and purses his lips, closing his eyes long enough for Rio to see an imaginary counter on Durbe’s head, ready to detonate when it reaches zero. She shifts her weight onto one leg, crossing her arms and trying to regain a glint of composure, shaking her hair slightly.

«Thank you, Durbe, but this won’t be necessary», she says with a smile. «Vector likes to fool around, but that’s nowhere nearly enough to scare me».

Vector had been very evidently trying to do something else entirely, but Rio hopes this will be enough for Durbe to be at peace. He may be well-intentioned and have her best interests in mind, but she suspects it’s just a way to prevent Ryouga from getting angry, which is yet another way to remind her that she has very little to herself.

At least, Vector’s hungry eyes virtually undressing her are for her only. But she can’t be happy about it, now, can she? They exchange a look, as if to confirm that she’s not imagined it.

Durbe’s jaw unclenches and he sighs; he adjusts the bridge of his glasses on his nose with his middle finger. «If you say so», he says, finally. «Do not waste more time», he adds, his gaze shifting from Vector to Rio and back.

Before he leaves as well, Vector’s eyes linger on her one second too long. She flips her hair and looks down at her nails, pretending the spark she felt rolling down her spine didn’t just happen.

Rio would  _ love _ to understand what her brother and Mizael have been going on about for the past five minutes, but she stopped caring the first time the dragon tamer had slammed his hands on the surface of the old table.

She feels like she should feel some familiarity with these surroundings. Coming back to the mansion was the only decision she felt like she had an actual weight in – Mr. Heartland arranged the rest in the blink of an eye, apparently.

Were they not celestial entities on the verge of descending upon humanity, Rio would suspect they’re all looking for a fancy excuse to freeload. She rests her cheek on her left hand, elbow on the table against all good manners, and inhales through her nose.

Her jaw clenches, fighting back a yawn. On her left, Alit is just sinking down the chair while Gilag rubs his temples a couple of seats further; his hands are laced in his lap and he exhales a puff of air since Mizael and Ryouga are still trying to assert dominance.

Rio definitely came to prefer another sort of dominance – but she’d rather sew her mouth shut than admit that the… intense first encounter with some of the other emperors had actually left her with something to think of if she really failed to catch some sleep.

In her peripheral, Vector is fiddling under the table, equally as bored. She can tell he’s actually doing his best to pay attention, judging from the scrunches of his nose whenever Ryouga –  _ Nasch _ , she should keep it in mind – speaks or the eyes rolling exaggeratedly when Durbe chimes in to support his arguments.

From the bits and pieces that she catches, it’s probably about Heartland – the gentle philanthropist Heartland, whose presence and cheesy catchphrases have been giving her all the wrong sort of chills. If they’re planning to lock him up and eat the key, so be it, she’ll be the first to vote for that.

She feels the corners of her lips quirk up at the thought of that man locked up in the mansion’s cellar. Rio bites the inside of her cheek, stifling a chuckle with her palm. Vector notices.

Their eyes meet for an instant. He raises his eyebrows and tilts his head a bit, as if to ask her what made her laugh; she shrugs and goes back to pretending he’s not there, very real and physical, and that his gaze does not feel… familiar on her skin. Almost as much as his mouth.

Rio still needs to put some order among the great deal of memories that came rushing back, but the most vivid ones seem to involve him. The violent ones, and some others that almost certainly belonged to a time when his smile did not resemble a scythe and the only thing that would darken his gaze was desire.

She keeps her eyes away from his sight range, choosing to focus on Nasch’s crossed arms and the scowl he’s shooting at Mizael. She’s almost tempted to actually listen, if it helps.

Vector seems to have other plans.

Rio freezes as she feels his palm on her knee, sliding slowly upwards. She purses her lips and breathes through her nose, shooting him a sideway glance that hopefully gets through to him before he notices how wide her eyes have been for one second.

The shifting has made her weaker to touch, and that’s a problem. Especially if it’s him, with his half-moon smirk and his nails raking up her thighs to get more of a reaction than just an attempt at side-eyeing him. Rio’s chest heaves slightly and her eyes dart around, as if to look for an exit.

It’d be simple. She could just slap his hand, cold and indignant, and glare at him as he backs down.

She can’t bring herself to, and stays still as her heart pounds against her ribcage.

Rio lets out a slightly startled sigh when Vector’s hand reaches for hers instead of trailing up her thigh. She finds herself closing the distance between them, as if to remind herself she’s not here for this – but what is she here for, actually?

His fingers entangle hers, soft and warm against her freezing hand. She frowns and shoots him a furtive glance when he squeezes down as if to confirm she’s not imagining it; he doesn’t look at her, but the corners of his lips quirk up.

It’s a kind of contact he had yet to seek with her. He’s always seemed to be more upfront about what he wants – at least, that’s what she has pieced together mixing the few interactions the two of them had until that moment in this life, and all of the memories scattered around her brain as if she’d dropped a photo album without knowing its contents. Sometimes, the memories come to her in flashes – and that’s exactly what happens.

It can’t be more than a few frames. It’s the memory of a moonlit garden and she’s walking hand in hand with Vector in it; she feels herself smiling in that memory, as he brings his pointer to his lips and winks at her.

Rio was already aware that whatever they had going for them in the past had to be kept a secret, but his hand holding hers serves as yet another reminder that history has a tendency to repeat itself. His thumb brushes her knuckles, ever gentle, and she feels the hint of a blush spreading on her cheeks.

Judging from what she’d seen, Merag had no qualms being clear about what she wanted, and intimacy was provided when she asked – until King Vector’s madness had taken over, and even then he’d beg her to let him in. That’s when they cut ties the first time. The second time was a bit hazier than the first, but she clearly remembers his hold around her neck when he claimed her with the same amount of desperation as the first time, and when he used her to threaten Nasch. Rio Kamishiro hasn’t spent enough time on Earth to learn about desire properly; the reality of hit has been thrown at her with the strength of a tidal wave, searing in her core and having her lean into it accordingly, her body aching for release. She still aches from time to time, when she meets the gaze of any of the Barians she’s been with and does not avert it.

Vector’s fingers release hers and his hand keeps sliding upwards, snaking around her wrist. Rio turns slightly to him, eyebrow raised.

He’s up to no good and she’s noticed too late. She’s lowered her guard because the amount of memories she needs to cope with is making her judgment hazy and her needs harder to resist, and she can’t-

The train of thought is cut abruptly by Vector’s thumb circling the bigger gem mounted on top of the bracelet. Rio bites down on her lip. Hard.

Her head falls slightly forwards and her thighs tighten shut. She brings her free hand in front of her mouth, trying her best impression of a cough.

_ Of course _ , she thinks as a long chill rolls down her spine like a marble. Her shoulders tighten as if someone has pushed a glowing ember between them.

Rio refuses to look at Vector, for the sake of her own sanity. She wouldn’t be able to bear his relaxed smile, nonchalant as he keeps fondling the gem – which definitely  _ affects _ her.

Another memory unlocks. It’s from the second life and she’s in control, sliding one gloved finger down Vector’s shining core; he throws his head back in response and lets out a sound that is nothing short of a growl.

Durbe’s warning echoes through her head. _The gems are connected to your body_ _even now_ , he said, pointing to his own bracelet, _so be careful with these, okay?_

Vector’s touch is delicate. His movements bring back all sorts of sensations in her lower abdomen, faint enough to be frustrating. He may be circling and rubbing it while he keeps his wrist in place, reminiscent of how he moved his hand between her legs, but it’s still a loose connection to her body.

Rio knows him well enough by now to conclude he’s trying to frustrate her. She comes to this conclusion while stifling a moan while he drags the pad of his thumb down the length of the crimson gem. 

Her eyes roll back slightly and she bites the inside of her cheek. She’s still adjusting and he’s taking full advantage of it – and what’s worst is that she’s letting him. That she’s enjoying this and would like to have more.

But she can’t yield. He’ll have to be satisfied at her clumsy attempts at stoicism. As if reading into her, he presses down a bit harder and she lets out the sigh she’s tried to hold back.

«Merag», Nasch’s voice reaches her ears and she freezes on the spot.  _ This is going to be tough to explain _ , she thinks to herself; Vector seizes her wrist harder, cheek leaning on his free hand while he pretends to be bored to death. Her heartbeat stops for an instant that spans on a whole year.

Nasch’s gaze is stern when it meets hers, his fingers laced in front of his face. She tries to offer the most neutral expression he can manages while Vector rubs slow circles on the gem. «Do you think it’s safe to trust Heartland to carry on with the remaining preparations? », he asks.

It feels like a boulder has been lifted off her back. She breathes through her nose and nods slowly. «I do», she says, and it comes out  _ slightly _ breathier than needed as Vector continues his ministrations while offering his best poker face to the others.

Heat creeps up her cheeks. Nasch raises one eyebrow. «You may rest if you’re not feeling well», he tells her, tone and features softening as his fingers disentangle to rest against the wooden surface. Rio shakes her head.

«I-I-I’m fine», she stutters as Vector releases her wrist to cross his arms on the table. And she’s also on the verge of banging her forehead against something.

Alit sits back up, shooting her a curious glance she promptly ignores. Her body, however, registers it and shivers accordingly. She glares at Vector, who in turn laces his fingers under his chin, resting it on them and fluttering his eyelids at her.

Maybe this time around she can turn the tables and be the one who ends his life. Her blood boils and her sex aches to be touched, but she refuses to acknowledge why.

The moment Nasch adjourns the meeting can’t come faster than it does. She makes her way towards the corridor as fast as she can, adamant on ignoring anyone who shoots any sort of glance at her – she’s not in any condition to explain anything and she’ll take the matter in her own hands.

«Rio», her brother’s voice reaches her and pins her in place. The way he still uses their names when they’re not with the others sends a pang of sadness in her stomach; he places one hand on her shoulder and she turns slowly. There’s no trace of hardness in his eyes, even though his lips are a straight line. «You don’t have to push yourself», he tells her. Rio just nods. «Go get some rest», he adds, with a hint of affection in his tone.

She runs a hand through her hair and lets out a chuckle. «You worry too much, Ryouga… but you’re right, I’ll go lay down for a bit», she answers.

It seems to be beyond her reach.

Rio tries and tries, but no matter how sensitive she feels and how hot she is beneath her own touch, slipping in and out of herself effortlessly, it doesn’t feel like it’s going to be done soon.

Maybe it’s the position, she muses. Her sheets are all tangled up around her and her thighs have started to feel stiff; even though the room is hot enough for Rio to lay on the bed in just her underwear. The sheets are there just in case anyone decides to get up in her business.

She rolls on one side, curling up with the tension between her thighs far from being untangled. Not a single noise in the room – just some faraway chatter, possibly coming from the living room, and the sound of her slightly hitched breath. She shudders lightly to the sensation of the bracelet around her wrist; she doesn’t even dare look at herself in the nearby mirror, for fear that she’ll see how vulnerable really is.

Rio can feel loose strands sticking to the side of her face, now that she’s started to sweat a bit. She bites her lip and curls up more, knees almost reaching her chest while her hand rests still between her legs.

No matter how pleasant the warmth around it feels, her back feels stiff. Her entire body does. Huffing a sigh, she rolls again, this time on her belly; she’s taken most of the sheets with her and she can feel her foot partly exposed to the air of the room, but it doesn’t matter. Her cheek is squished against the multiple pillows she has laid her head on until now.

It’s not fair, she thinks. She’s done this dozens of times over the past year-and-a-half or so, and it’s never been hard. It’s not even the first time she’s done it – or someone else had done it to her - after the shift, and it’s not the sort of thing that has any business being difficult. Let alone if she actually feels the need to.

She slides her hand back between her legs; her thighs feel slightly sticky as they rub against one another. Taking a deep breath, she parts her legs a bit and shivers at the sensation of the bristly hair against her palm as she presses her middle finger gently against her clit.

Warmth ripples in her abdomen again as her breath hitches. As Rio rubs slow circles around it, picking up a pace that seemed to help before, she can’t push aside the thought that she’d rather have someone else do it for her. A slight twitch in her core follows the vivid image in her head and she buries her face in the pillow, muffling a low moan as she feels her thighs stiffen.

Rio pushes down her panties with her free hand, wiggling awkwardly until they’re around her knees. Her hand keeps working, not a bit less frustrated than before, but she  _ will _ get there. She has to. She can’t have just forgotten how to do it just because someone else has swept her off her feet, now, can she?

She breathes harder, grinding against her own hand as a spark of pleasure ignites her loins, and she moans in the pillow.  _ That’s more like it _ , she thinks, grinning against the soft surface.

Maybe she just needs to focus on something.

The image of her sitting on the couch, remote in hand, surfing aimlessly through the channels one sleepless night comes to her mind instead. It’s closer to how she feels, at least. It’s not like she doesn’t know what to think of – there’s just  _ too much _ at the same time. The faces blur into one another, the same way the hands that had touched her do.

Except for one.

Vector’s smile as he hovered over her and watched her squirm flashes through her head. Her fingers slip down to feel the wetness of her folds and she dips them in easily, curling them to reach the spot that might make her release a bit too easy. She bites back the urge to call out his name as she feels herself from the inside, even though he wouldn’t be able to hear it. She feels too hot for her own good and chokes back a moan, back stiffening as she senses herself moving closer to the hint of an orgasm.

Rio parts her legs more and shivers, half-riding her own fingers at a lazy pace. She just needs to be patient, she tells herself, but she wants it to feel  _ especially _ good. After all she’s been put through, she deserves this bit of selfishness.

Her fingers go back to working her increasingly sensitive clit again. When her fingertip brushes against the bundle of nerves, tracing it with care, she lets out a breathier moan and buckles her hips against her own hand. She might be starting to sweat more and she’s probably going to have to go on some sort of stealth mission to throw the evidence into the laundry, but she’s picking up a pace that actually works this time.

Or at least, it works until she hears a knock on her door that feels more as if someone were trying to kick it down. She gasps out loud and clamps her palm on her mouth, eyes widening as she realises that maybe that one was a bit too much to stifle.

She looks at the door in dread.

Ryouga would never knock like that, so she pens him out of the list. He might knock like that on Alit’s door when he decides that night time is a good time to train as loudly as he can, but never on hers.

She curls up in the sheets, eyes narrowing. Her heart is beating a bit too fast for her tastes.

«Merag? », Vector calls her name in a singsong voice. She rolls her eyes. «Are you awake? I’ve heard you weren’t feeling very well, I thought I’d check», he offers in a saccharine tone, drumming his fingers on the door. He knows full well whose fault it is if she’s locked herself up.

«Thank you for your concern», she replies as dryly as she can, trying to even out her breath. She still shudders and clutches the sheets tighter. He really is the person who she needs the least and the most at the same time, in that moment; mostly, she can’t be bothered with his smugness and his mind games and he already interrupted her.

She scowls at the doorway.

«The door is locked», she blurts out.

_ Great job _ , she tells herself, dragging her palm across her face.

On cue, Rio hears the door click and feels her cheeks heat up – and she can’t tell if it’s sheer embarrassment at her poor choice of words or something else. She’d rather not think about it for now.

Vector pokes in, wearing the brightest smile he can manage. She purses her lips and narrows her eyes at him, still shielded by the sheets. «It doesn’t seem locked to me», he almost coos, tilting his head to the side.

He locks the door behind him, taking a few seconds to fumble with the key. Rio hears the click and shudders.

Vector looks over his shoulder, right at her. « _ Now _ it’s locked», he announces, something darker clouding his gaze. She does not avert hers – if it’s a contest of some sort, she’s in to win.

His footsteps are far from quiet. Rio hears the click of his heels against the floor, which prompts the instinct of curling up; but she can’t act like she’s afraid of him or anything – she isn’t, it’s something else entirely, equally unpleasant. It doesn’t help that she yanked her panties almost down to her knees and she’s lying under a single layer of sheets, otherwise naked.

That is something that would be inconvenient to show. Maybe.

Her eyes follow his steps as he approaches, taking a seat on the edge of the bed right next to her. Vector smiles at her and his gaze softens when it meets hers.

She’s still scowling at him nonetheless, crossing her arms under the sheets.

«Aw, don’t be like that», he croons, smiling at her and extending one hand to run the back of his hand down her cheek. He brushes a few loose strands away, his touch almost tender on her skin. «I just wanted to make sure you didn’t feel too… overwhelmed by our little game».

Rio frowns harder and turns her face away. She tries to ignore the heartbeat rising in her chest as much as the tension building up in her belly, right under her navel.

Vector leans in further, his breath ghosting over her ear. «Are you really mad at me because I left you hanging? », he murmurs, brushing his lips on the shell of her ear.

As much as she’d love to just lean in and offer her neck up for him to kiss at his leisure, she opts to turn back at him and glare. The blush spreading on her cheeks and her thighs rubbing together aren’t helping.

He chuckles lightly in response to her half-hearted attempt at hostility and offers another smile as he shifts his hand closer to her frame, trying at the sheets to see what part of her he’s trying at. «I came here to finish what I started», he adds, looking down at her through fluttering lashes. «If you let me».

Rio rolls her eyes, trying to ignore the insistent ache between her thighs, shutting them underneath the sheets. She rises up to sit, holding them up to cover her chest, and Vector follows.

She studies his features for a moment. He’s grinning, leaning on one hand and definitely invading her personal space – not to mention he didn’t even bother to take off one item of clothing. The fact he’s even still wearing the obnoxious leather jacket he flaunts all the time should bother her more, she feels.

Rio purses her lips, clutching at the sheets tighter. «So you can leave me hanging again and walk away like a champion? », she taunts, narrowing her gaze.

Truth is, whatever he’s offering, she very much needs it. Just this once. The way she nearly salivates at the thought of him getting his hands on her and granting her release might be an indicator that she’s closer to desperation than she’d like to admit.

Vector tilts her chin and looks her in the eye, sending a spark down her spine. «Merag, I need this as much as you do» he calls her name with a hunger dripping from his voice. He quickly licks his lips when he looks down at her, the sheets clinging tightly to her form, leaving very little to the imagination – much less than she’d planned to.

He closes the distance, inches away from her mouth. «I want you», he murmurs, tongue darting out to trace her bottom lip. She closes her eyes at the sensation and tilts her head, still clutching the sheets as her heartbeat shakes her ribcage.

Rio’s lips part for him, allowing his tongue to push against her own, slowly. Every memory they share overlaps and melts into the soft contact of their mouths. It’s not a fight yet, he cups her jaw with both hands to deepen the kiss and taste her, brushing his fingers on her neck. She spills a soft sound into his mouth and her breath hitches when he pulls away to take her bottom lip between his teeth and sucks it slightly.

As they catch their breath, looking at each other through hooded eyes, she decides he can’t win just yet. «It takes much more than this for me to forgive you for embarrassing me in front of my brother», she says, almost a whisper, the corners of her lips quirking up a bit.

He grimaces as the image of Ryouga flashes through his head, but his features relax just as fast. «Let’s leave him out of the bedroom, shall we? », he says, ducking his head to nip at the side of her neck.

Browsing through her thoughts to get a witty response to throw at him proves useless. The only thing that escapes her lips is a choked moan.

She’s still holding on the sheets, unsure when to drop them altogether – if at all, she’s still in time to shoo him away with an excuse. Not like he hasn’t seen her naked a surprising amount of times, all things considered, but this time around it feels like a losing game.

Each sensation has been amplified since the awakening, and Vector is taking full advantage of this. He wants her to feel good, that’s what he says each time. And it does – it really feels like seeing stars and she wants to refrain from asking for more; she leans into the feather-like touch of his mouth instead, sighing as he gets closer to the shoulder and finally digs his teeth in.

She watches in a daze as he lets the tender flesh go with a barely perceptible pop, the thinnest trail of spit connecting her to him. Rio feels herself shaking violently at the sight.

Vector’s eyes scan her through heavy lids and another feline grin is promptly painted on his face. She scrunches her nose and frowns, waiting. No matter how much she aches for release, she’s not going to beg him to finish her off.

His hand trails up her thigh through the sheets, making its way towards her belly. «Are you really going to be shy now? ». There’s a playful lilt in his voice as he rests his palm on her hip. She clicks her tongue, thighs rustling, sticky with heat and impatient.

It’s a crossroads. She could either give herself up, or stand her ground and drag this on for more than necessary.

Before she can think of an answer, the fingers resting on her hip curl. Rio gasps loudly and widens her eyes, hands scrambling to stop his; another hand has joined the other on the opposite hip, poking and tickling.

Of course, the curtain falls.

She’d expect him to stop in his tracks and stare, and spare her the torture of being heard squealing and giggling like a schoolgirl as he pins her down with his weight and keeps torturing her. When he reaches for the space below her last rib, she nearly yells, drumming her fists against his chest.

«Vector- Vector, stop--», she yelps between laughs, high pitched and breathy, feeling tears prickle the corners of her eye. He draws back and she can feel him rest his palms at the sides of her head, careful not to catch strands of her hair beneath.

When she opens her eyes, he’s hovering above her, grin unfaltering. His breath is slightly hitched and his face flushed as he studies her before answering. «You should laugh more often, Merag», he mutters, voice heavy with a lust that sends yet another spark to her spine. He licks his lips and leans in. «You’re so pretty when you do», he adds, drawing his hand closer to trail his fingers down her neck. His eyes widen ever so slightly, staring dark and hungry at her as they finally notice her exposed chest.

Vector looks back up at her; she’s been entranced by his gentle motions, lips parted, eyelids heavy. Her eyelashes flutter – is she finally trying to seduce him? Is this what it’s come to?

The low throb between her legs is more important than reason, now. «Were you waiting for me? », he asks, lowering his voice as his fingertips rest on one breast. 

Rio breathes through her nose. She refuses to lose her fight and retaliates, her tongue sharp: «I was minding my own business, actually».

It’s hard to sass him when he’s rolling her nipple between his fingers, gentle enough for her to want more but not enough for her not to react to the wave of pleasure rippling under her navel. Rio can feel her eyes shutting and her lips parting at his command, a low sound rising from her throat as he tweaks at her breast.

«How so? », he asks, intrigued. «I think I’ve given you enough to cling to», he adds with a low chuckle that makes her tremble and whine for more. It’s just like he says. Another pinch and she holds onto his arms for support, slightly pulling him into herself.

«You-», she curses, high pitched and not at all credible as she tries to stifle a moan. «You just love the sound of your own voice, don’t you? », she manages to sputter, cupping the nape of his neck and leaning up to press her lips against his. Vector grins into the kiss before charging to reciprocate at full force. Of course he would.

«Nowhere nearly as much as you do», he whispers, lips trailing down her neck to suck slowly at the base; he then runs the tip of his tongue on the fresh bruise, ripping another moan out of her.

Rio’s hands tug at his jacket, trying to free his shoulders from it. Feeling the rough cloth against her skin as he presses himself flush against her body makes her shiver and feel like she has to scramble to get on equal footing with him again – because she’s vulnerable like that and his touch and light kisses and his fever-hot tongue remind her that she’s more pliable than she’d like to be. Vector is shaping her into someone she doesn’t quite understand yet; she wonders if he understands that, too.

Vector’s hands wrap around her wrists, holding them firm.

«My clothes will stay on», he says, tone demanding and heavy with something feral that leaves her hot and wanting. «You, however…», he licks his lips as his eyes catch a glimpse of her hardened nipples «You’re perfect as you are».

Rio lets out a soft noise of protest and furrows her brow, trying to wriggle free of his hold and take  _ at least _ his leather jacket off by force. He’s too covered up for her taste and she has no patience for his mind games. She wants this, and she’s going to get it. Her body has been betraying her enough, though – her attempts barely manage to crumple the leather under her fingers, let alone remove it. Vector’s grip tightens and he brings her wrist to his lips once again.

She holds her breath when he kisses the top gem on her bracelet, the touch of his lips light enough for her to wonder if she’s not imagining the connection between the gem and her body.

It becomes painfully real as she feels the tip of his tongue follow its shape. He looks at her in the eyes as he does and her entire body is suddenly shaken with a sharper pleasure than the one she experienced underneath the table. The energy swirling in her core feels burning, this time.

This time around, a sensation flashes through her body, rather than a distinct image. It’s the feeling of his fingers digging into her hips until she bruised, and his sex filling her mercilessly. Rio feels herself twitch, her muscle memory reacting to the feeling of him.

He delivers a final kiss to the gem, ever gentle, and places his lips underneath the bracelet, on the warm skin. «How would you like it if I did this between your thighs, hm? », he asks, letting out a dark chuckle after that melts her. She finds herself with a dry throat, chapped lips and an urge between her legs that only grows the more he spurs her on. 

«How about you just do it if you want it that much? Because that’s what this sounds like», she quips, betrayed only by her heavy breathing. Vector grins as he frees her wrists – finally -, only to yank the sheets away from her thighs before she can say anything.

Her eyes widen as it hits her. Her panties rest around her knees and she’s completely exposed, propped on her elbows and staring up at him – who’s looking down at her with growing hunger, gaze fixated on her mound, almost entranced.

Not that he hasn’t shown appreciation before, but the cool air against her naked form makes her shiver, and it feels a lot more like embarrassment than arousal; or perhaps, it’s the mix of the two that makes her brain go haywire.

Rio almost feels like melting under Vector’s touch as he starts to part her thighs and lean in. Her heartbeat drums in her ears and she bites her lower lip in anticipation, tensing and waiting for him to dive in and release her-

Except he stops and looks up at her again, pensive.

«I was thinking», he says – to which she responds with a groan – as he taps his fingers on her hipbone. «You were touching yourself when I knocked, right? », he asks, with a triumphant note in his voice. She gasps, tightening her fists.

There’s no denying it.

Her panties and the pitiful state of her cunt are  _ impossible _ to hide. She’s guilty as charged. Caught red-handed, even. She tries to avert her eyes nonetheless but his hand cups her cheek and pushes lightly so she’s facing him again; of course, she’s met with his signature smirk.

«Would you mind showing me what you’re like when you’re alone? », he asks, fingers brushing against the warm flesh of her abdomen, pressing lightly on the spot right under the navel. Her breath hitches.

There are a myriad reasons why this is a dumb request – starting from the fact that he’s fucking with her instead of fucking her or putting his mouth on her or anything else that could finally release her from the ever-growing tension between her thighs. Yet, she’s known him enough – she can feel the weight of their everything in her core – to understand she’s not going to turn any tables on him anytime soon.

And the way he’s nearly salivating at the sight of her own slickness clinging to her inner thighs is starting to get to her, so she parts her legs further and slides a hand between them. Rio has to bite back a moan the very moment her fingertips start to trail carefully over her folds. 

Her eyes lose focus the moment he starts kneading one of her breasts in a matching rhythm. Slow and careful, the pad of his thumb circling the nipple; Rio throws her head back and works her fingers on herself, heels digging into the mattress. Her hips buck into her own hand and she bites her lower lip again, hard.

Vector’s fingers pinch and squeeze and tease, his nails dig into the side of her breast and rake down to her hip. Rio’s eyes snap open and a hoarse sound, broken and wobbly, escapes her mouth; she clamps her hand on her mouth, fingers working faster as he moves his hand down to her thigh, digging his nails into the outer area this time and raking up. She can feel the sting of the red marks he’s left and looks up at him through fluttering lashes, whimpering right into her palm, aching for release that doesn’t seem to be anywhere near.

He trails one finger down the fresh wound. «You don’t need that hand. I want to hear you properly», he tells her, voice dark and husky; he seems to be taking his time with her, but she can tell his breathing is slightly ragged. He wants this as much as she does.

«Stop bossing me around- _ hah _ », she whines, her resolve snapped in half by her own fingers hitting a really good spot. Rio bites the inside of her cheek and tries to scowl at him the best she can. «I-I’m the one doing everything». It comes out breathy and needier than she’d like, but she got it out of her system.

She stops her fingers and feels herself twitching, a phantom motion that betrays how much she needs – and wants - to be fucked.

Vector is still staring down at her like she’s something especially amusing. He leans in again, the hand on her thigh sliding inwards, fingertips ghosting over her navel area.

«See, Merag… you’re doing it all wrong», he croons, letting out a chuckle. Rio gasps, forming voiceless words before his finger comes to rest on her lips, and she has to fight the urge to take it into her mouth. She tries to furrow her brow and be credible at it – and she can sense herself not doing an excellent job at it.

Her chest heaves, waiting for him to go on. She nearly mewls in pleasure as she feels the hand resting under her navel trailing downwards, slightly brushing against her darker curls.

«You’re doing this in hopes to get it over with as soon as possible. Meanwhile, I…». He pauses to smirk at her as he drags his pointer upwards, following the line of her impossibly wet sex, coming to rest on the sensitive bundle of nerves at the top. She can feel him shudder as she lets out yet another sound, tilting her head and leaving her lips parted. «I do this because I want you to feel all of it. I’ll make you feel really good if you allow me, Merag». Vector closes the distance between their faces, whispering the last words on her parted lips.

His tongue slides in and she moans in his mouth, pushing her own tongue against his once again, arms wrapping around his neck to draw him closer. Rio’s hips buck against his hand at the slightest motion, her voice breaking into shaky sighs that get lost between his lips; when he breaks the kiss to catch his breath, he smirks again.

Rio looks at his mouth, swollen and pink, through hazy eyes.

«You still haven’t answered me», he whispers, rubbing slow circles against her clit with his thumb while his medium and ring finger slip into her folds with ease, curling into her. «Is this not enough? », she moans, feeling her toes curling in response to his motions. He truly has her by her strings now, doesn’t he?

«I want you to say it, Merag», he demands, his hand picking up a pace as he stares down at her, eyes filled to the brim with a lust that shouldn’t feel this familiar, but does. She lifts herself up slightly, forehead touching his while her hips chase his movements.

Rio bites down on her lower lip hard when Vector’s fingers reach deeper into her and his thumb still flicks over her most sensitive spot mercilessly. «Please, Vector», she murmurs, barely audible between shaky breaths as he slows down. «Make me feel everything—I want you inside me, I need it».

She feels him smirk against her mouth, tilting his head to the side to catch her sore bottom lip between his teeth. «Very well», he whispers, removing his hand and drawing back.

Rio rides the first orgasm with writhing thighs and her nails digging into the rough leather of Vector’s jacket. She breathes through her teeth and whines, feeling herself twitch from the aftermath; he did all of this on purpose, she knows that much, tormenting her until she’d finally lose it. And she did, on command.

Her thighs still tremble as he sits up. She wants to reach for him, jump on his lap and tear his clothes off to get them on more even ground, but all the strength that’s left only allows her to weakly lift one arm, reaching out to him as he rests his weight on his heels, each leg to the side of her thighs, and looks down at his work with hungry eyes.

Vector brings his own fingers to his mouth and swirls his tongue around them, never breaking eye contact. Rio feels her eyes widening and the urge to sit up and help him lick his fingers clean; however, the world still spins too much to do any of that so she just stares at him, bedazzled, as he makes a show of wedging his tongue between his fingers like he would between her thighs. She feels her lips parting, her sex twitching still.

It’s nowhere near enough to satisfy her.

«You taste amazing, Merag», he mewls, idly running his wet fingers on her breast once again, making her jolt.

«Spare me», she whispers. Weak, stuttering, but still as unyielding as she can. She turns her face to the side, furrowing her brow a bit – despite this meek attempt at gathering the dignity that exploded with her climax, she’s still visibly affected by his everything. The warmth of his fingers lingers on her skin, fully exposed to the cool air; every thought is slowly substituted by the need to have all of him. Maybe she can start making some sense again later.

His other hand cups her cheek and turns her face to him.

«I recall you saying something slightly different not much earlier», he drawls, running his thumb on her lower lip. «Care to remind me? », he taunts, pushing his fingertip enough to threaten her to stick it into her mouth and give her something to do, but not to actually do it. It’s yet another challenge.

The tip of her tongue meets the pad of his thumb before her mouth engulfs his finger. She closes her eyes and bobs her head lightly, her hand wrapping around his wrist, feeling the soft fur at the end of his sleeve; his thumb prods her tongue, sliding over the flat of it, never going too far.

Vector lets out a dark chuckle as his free hand moves closer to her face to get some loose strands away.

He’s made her vulnerable. Rio still feels phantom twitching in her thighs and sex, tension building again even without being touched, wondering how he could just do that with one hand. And yet, all those thoughts are a distant echo, dulled by the urge to please him and be pleased in return.

She feels sweat sticking to her cool skin and shudders, her nipples hardening once again. Even though she knows she should loathe being treated like that, toyed with like she’s just here to succumb to Vector (or anyone else’s) desires, there’s something in the way he touches that sparks a nostalgic fire.

She doesn’t know much about the person she’s letting in, and yet she knows enough to do it anyway. Rio feels his fingers running idly through her hair, with fondness she doesn’t expect and that causes her to open her eyes a bit and release the finger with a wet sound.

Vector is staring down at her, but the dark edges in his gaze have softened. His smile seems less even less feral. «Merag…», he moans. Her name spills softly from his lips as he leans down once again, his body pressed flush against hers. In that moment, she’s aware of how naked she is, feeling his clothes against her damp skin. He doesn’t seem to care and buries his face in the crook of her neck, his breath tickling her. «I love when you’re so good to me », he whispers to her ear, kissing the spot underneath with soft lips. She wraps her arms around him, one hand stroking his hair.

It isn’t hard at all for Rio to believe they were lovers if he talks to her  _ like that _ .

He carefully wriggles out of the embrace – which earns him noises of protest because she was just getting used to his warmth - and props himself up on his hands. His palms rest once again at the sides of her face.

She knows she’s seen him from this angle countless times. Yet, she brings a hand to his cheek, fingers moving gingerly on the warm skin, and he turns to kiss her palm.

«I want to make you mine », he rasps, tone growing darker as his teeth graze slightly at her wrist. «Over and over again».

Rio takes a deep breath, the words echoing in her head and through her body, down to the tips of her toes.

He’s been dragging this too long. She bites the inside of her cheek as her hand trails down between his legs, cupping his groin. Her palm rests against his clothed erection and he groans slightly, lowering his head.

His smirk grows wider. «You just can’t wait to have me, huh? », he asks, voice thick with desire.

Rio smiles right back. «You do an awful lot of talking », she quips, playful enough as she squeezes him lightly; her hands fumble with his belt and she shivers at the sensation, biting her lower lip.

«True, but the sound of my voice makes you wet», he goads, sliding one of his hands between her thighs once again, to prove a point. Rio knows she should be mad that he’s right, but she just leans into his touch as she pulls his zipper down.

«S-Shut it--», she manages to stutter. It’s not credible and it gives away how actually turned on she is, but she won’t go down without the semblance of a fight.

He’s warm against her hand, even over his underwear, twitching slightly at her touch and answering her attentions with a languid moan. Touching each other at the same time requires a lot more focus than she’d think – it’s messy and she blushes furiously when she feels how much hotter he feels when she pulls down the fabric of his underwear enough to free him and to keep him fully clothed at the same time.

What exactly he gains from staying like that is beyond her; strands of his hair are sticking to his forehead and the way he’s tensing and huffing makes her want to tear everything off. Though, admittedly, the raw feeling of his leather pants against her nudity sparked something in her belly that she can’t pinpoint – not in her current state, which only allows her to grind against his fingers as if to ride them, and try her best to stroke him.

Rio’s hand moves in time with his, pumping him slowly while the other holds his wrist. She shivers when he twitches and she can feel him build up the same amount of tension he’d been inflicting on her – it’s in his low groans and the way he bites down on his lip and tilting his head to the side, hips bucking into her touch when she circles the tip of his shaft with her thumb. He breathes a full moan when she starts spreading his fluids along his length, his thumb pressing harder against her clit as if to rip a response from her – which comes soon.

If he keeps this up he’s going to ruin her a second time. She bites her lip and scowls, no matter how pleasant it feels.

When he suddenly removes his hand to shove his wet fingers in her mouth without a single word, Rio feels electricity rolling down her spine and she gasps around the intrusion, letting go of his shaft. Her own taste feels strange, mixing with his skin, but she doesn’t mind.

«I should be sorry to still keeping you waiting, but look at you--», he rasps, the last word melting into a breathy sigh until he draws his hand back and finally grabs each thigh, fingers digging into the tender flesh, to spread her apart.

His hands slide under her thigh to  _ finally _ bend them back. She places her calves on his sboulders, almost sighing with relief – there is, however, a tiny bit of tension left at the base of her spine because it’s still Vector and who knows what ways he could find to torture her, if his feline smirk is any indicator.

He does, indeed, take a long moment to stare down at her, pupils dilating when his gaze lands between her legs.

Vector likes to marvel at his own work. He licks his lips.

«Give me one good reason not to change my mind and put my mouth on you instead», he chuckles as one hand trails down between his legs and strokes him lazily.

Rio groans and grits her teeth, eyes regaining focus. «Listen, Vector», she says, tone demanding despite her heavy breath. «You’ve beaten around the bush—don’t laugh—okay, fine, you’ve dragged this on for far more than it should be allowed. You either fuck me now or so help me».

She breathes through her nose, a furious blush spreading across her body. It’s a mix of adrenaline and lust, and she normally wouldn’t say anything like that- but enough is enough and Vector needs to understand that.

They look at each other for a moment that stretches through time in ways she didn’t think possible.

«Very well», he finally announces, leaning down a bit to close what little distance was left between them. The moment she feels the tip of his sex line up with hers she lets out a high-pitched moan and twitches madly against him, throwing her head back. «My, aren’t we sensitive», he croons, pushing himself forwards slowly as he takes a hold of her wrists and pins them above her head with one hand.

The contact with the bracelet sends another fiery spark and pleasure ripples beneath her navel again, making her contract around him. Vector lets out a noise that sounds like a growl, sticking his tongue out and slightly throwing his head back, burying himself deeper inside her.

Rio moves her hips against him to spur him on. «You’re so warm…», he whispers, barely audible, as his grip on her wrists tightens. Vector hangs his head down, groaning as he finally starts to move, picking up a pace as she grinds her thighs against his, her ankles laced behind his head as he leans down.

His free hand digs into the tender flesh of her hip, nails scraping her. She can tell it’ll leave a mark and she plans to have him kiss all the signs he's left on her to make up for everything he’s put her through; having him inside her, though, is proving worth the wait as he moves with increasing desperation, chasing the spots that make her tighten around him.

Vector buries his face into her chest, muffling his delighted sounds against her warm skin, making her shiver. She bites down on her lip, but it’s nowhere nearly enough to repress the moans escaping her as he dives deeper into her. It’s almost numbing, but the way his length manages to hit somewhere that makes it hard to stay quiet is enough for her senses to melt.

It doesn’t take him much for his mouth to latch around one of her breasts, sucking earnestly with his eyes closed, soft sounds rising at the back of his throat as he slows down, hell bent on feeling all of her.

She chases his pace with her hips, answering his muffled moans with hers and nearly shrieking when he releases her with a wet pop, tending to her chest with loving bites that will leave too many marks she doesn’t even want to cover anymore.

Her back arches as his nails scrape up her side, starting from the hip. «You’re beautiful, Merag… », he sighs, face moving closer to hers. «I-I want to fill you up », he stutters against her lips, low and shaky. His hips slap harder against hers as he regains his composure, smirking with gritted teeth and hissing when she tightens around him just as hard.

Her throat feels dry and her sounds are almost voiceless by that point, so she nods. Vector’s forehead rests against hers, lips brushing together.

Rio’s life has always been about control. The way she’s always made it a point not to stand in Ryouga’s shadow, to ease the burden of being “Kamishiro” first and “Rio” second. Always making sure to give people reasons to remember her, reasons that have nothing to do with Ryouga. It’s ironic how she barely remembers her life before this, and it wasn’t even that long ago.

The way her name rolls off Vector’s tongue in breathy, needy sighs that carry the unabashed urge to pin her under him has made her feel  _ seen _ . He wants her for her. And that will be enough, even if it means giving up some of the ground beneath her feet in favour of having her hands bound, her newfound body played with and her throat held until her head feels light and her sex quivers.

It’s actually thrilling to give up some of what she’s fought for so hard, if it’s with him. She chooses to leave reason at the door, for the time being.

«Vector», she moans against his mouth, her lips parted to spill shrill sounds when his free hand reaches down between her thighs and his fingers brush against her clit while he keeps pounding into her with an increased rhythm, erratic and feral.

The scream she lets out as she contracts almost painfully around him, finally finding release, is hoarse. He stops in his tracks for a second and groans as she clenches down on him, right before slowing down his pace. But he doesn’t seem to want to grant her any mercy.

Rio feels his thrusts with the entirety of her body, as if they’re glued to one another. It feels akin to one of the scenes from the life before this one, those times when his chest was pressed flush against hers and they found themselves engulfed in a warm red glow. Except her sex is fever-hot and hypersensitive in this moment, and she cries out as he keeps pushing his length, chasing his climax with choked pants. «S-Slower…», she whines, scraping her nails into the back of his neck, toes curling as her thighs go numb and a few tears trickle down her cheeks as her lower lip trembles.

«Fuck-», he grunts, burying his face in the crook of her neck, knees digging into the mattress. He bucks his hips into her once more, throbbing against her walls as he comes, words flowing from his mouth that she can’t quite make out.

Vector’s heavy pants fill the silence of the aftermath. Rio’s head is still light and her legs have given way, resting all wobbly and weak at his sides; he still hasn’t pulled out yet and she feels she should be worrying more about letting him do as he pleases, but it’s all background noise in the back of her brain, buried beneath the electrifying pleasure she’s been subjected to.

The fur of his jacket is soft and fluffy against her chest, but the hard leather makes her shiver. She lets out little whines as he moves slightly, still sensitive all over.

She strokes his hair and smiles to herself.

«Don’t you dare fall asleep like this», she murmurs, voice still weak but not enough to stop her from reminding him about basic manners. He’s pretty lacking in those respect, but moving and letting her breathe a bit would be common courtesy.

Vector lazily presses kisses against her cheek. She’d have to roll her eyes by now, but she’s tired enough to find this endearing. Tender, even.

«Oh no », he whispers. «I’ll take good care of you. I’ll get you all cleaned up and nice and then we-». She sighs as she places a finger on his lips to interrupt the relentless word flow, struggling to find a way to make sense of her arms in the tangle of their bodies; turning to face him, she smiles.

There’s that softness to his gaze, that she had longed for.

«Just show me», she hums, leaning in for a kiss. It’s just their lips pressed together, in a way more suited for the people they pretended to be on the Heartland grounds; the thought of wanting a chance for them as humans flashes through her mind for a second, but it’s faint and distant, almost an echo.

For now, the feeling of his body on hers and his lingering warmth will have to do.

**Author's Note:**

> The real plot twist is that they're a little bit in love after all, but Vector is a moron and inches away from ruining everything again huh


End file.
